Vending machine



May'l5,v19`23. 11,455,154

- s. G. THOMAS ET Al.

VENDINGS MACHINE Filed sept. 1o, 1921 2 sheets-sheet 1 nl w l, 1. N e N M lq N N N "i w vf ,wz

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May 15, 1923. A EASSJI S. G. THOMAS ET AL vENpING MACHINE Filed sept. 1o, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 501mm E .Tl-lamas Rani-Eu LI/iight.

Patented 'May l 5,' 1 923.

SOLON G. THOMAS AND ROCHELL E. EIGHT, OF CORDELL, OKLAHOMA.

VENDING ll/JIACI-IINE.

Application led September 10, 1921.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

`Be it known that we, SoLoN vG. THOMAS and ROCHELL E. Klei-1r, citirens of the United States, residing at Cordell, in the county of VVashita and Stateof Oklahoma7 have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vending Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference vbeing had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to` vending machines and more particularly to coin controlled vending machines, the principal object `of the invention being to provide a sim- -ple and eflicie'nt device ,of this character 1n which articlesof ,various kinds and charactersmay be dispensed upon depositing the proper amount of money and actuatingfthe ydischarge plunger.

. vAnother object of the invention is to provide a novel 'form of coin controlledloclr `which prevents actuation of the machine to `discharge an article therefrom until a coin of theproper denomination is deposited.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of novel means for preventing clogging of the discharge valve and which assures' the discharge of one article at a time and also controls the articles in the hopper sfo that at` each retrograde movement of the valve an article will be forced into the discharge opening thereof. u Further objects of the invention will appear as the following specific description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application, and in which:

` Figure 1 is a front elevation with parts brokenaway; y

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2 2 of Figure 1 g' Figure 3 is a top plan view with the top removed;

Figure t is a horizontal sectional view on the line 1 -t of Figure 2; v

Figure 5 is a detail vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale showing the adjustment of the gate valve; and

Figure Gis an enlarged detail vertical section showing the engagement of the rack "on the operating plunger with the feed roller. ,l v j Referring more particularlyfto the drawing, the casing generally indicated at 1 coinprises a bottom 2, back 3,top 4, sides 5 and a front piece 6, a portion of which is formed vtothe side members 5 Serial No. 499,596.

of a transparent panel 7. rlhe front piece, as shown, extends from the top to a point slightly midway below the machine where it is cut away to provide an opening 8 by which the articles may be removed from the base or bottom 2, a retaining strip 9 being placed along the bottom to form a receptacle for the discharged articles.

As shown, the bottom of the casing is divided into separate compartments by a partition 10, and in the rear compartment thus formed we mount a suitable drawer 11 'adapted to receive the money deposited after being discharged from the control inschamsm. j

vExtending across the machine and secured are strips 12 upon which is mounted a narrow platform 13 having slidab-ly engaged with the upper sul'- face thereof and with the upper surface of the strips 12 a valve 14, to the forward end of which is attached an operating plunger 15 projecting through the front piece 6 and through a reinforcing escutcheon plate 16, as shown. The valve is normally held in article receiving position b v means of a spiral spring 17 engaged with the rear edge of the valve and with a strip 18. as shown in Figure 2. c

Secured within the casing and arranged vertically is a partition member 19 dividing` theupper portion of the casing into separate compartments 2O and 21, the latter of which forms a. hopper for the reception of the articles to be dispensed and is provided with a removable inclined bottom 22 held in position by auxiliary side plates 28 removably mounted in the casing and forming abutment plates for the ends of the articles to be dispensed. lThese plates carry adjacent their lower ends the bifurcated arms 24 which have the pintles 25 of the roller 26 engaged in the bifurcation so as to have free rotation and vertical movement` but being held against any horizontal body shifting. The roller7 as shown, restsupon the upper` surface of the valve and is rotated thereby when the valve is reciprocatedt ln order that the roller may be positively operated lto accomplish the results described hereafter.

we preferably secure to the upper face of the plunger a rack 15L which engages with the gear teeth 15b formed in the roller and having the teeth flush with the outer face of the roller or slightly indented in order that they maynot interfere with the proper engagement of the articles withthe roller. This roller,` when the valve is pushed inwardly to discharge an article, will be rotated in the direction of the arrow so'as to' throw any articles resting thereagainstaway from the opening 27 formed in the valve, and when the valve is moved outwardly under the action of the spring 17 the roller rotates in a direction reverse to the arrow and has a tendency to force an article in the hopper into the opening so that it rests uponthe platform 13. Carried by the partition 19 and the front piece 6 is a coin chutev28 which registers with the opening 29 formed in a plate 30 carried by the front piece 6, and

having thereon suitable indicia which indi.

cates to the purchaser the amount to `be deposited. At the inner end of the chute 23 the same connects with a vertical chute 31 which has pivoted in its lower end a locking trigger 32 extending through the partition 19 and having a. depending forward end arranged to normally engage a shoulder 33 formed .on the upper surface of the valve 14. The trigger is held in shoulder engaging position by means of a spring 3d engaged with the rear end of the trigger and with a bridge piece 35 secured inthe casing. Mounted on the valve 14: immediately :forward of the shoulder is a coin actuating plunger 36 which extends upwardly and rearwardly over the valve and terminates in. an inclined end 37 lying within the coin chute 31 and in a position to engage a coin resting upon the rear upper edge of the trigger 32.

As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the rear wall of the coin chute 31 terminates considerably abo-ve the trigger 32 and has attached thereto agate valve 38 laterally offset at its upper end so that its forward face lies in a plane with the inner face of the rear wall of the chute. The upper end of the gate valve is laterally offset and slotted to receive the attaching and adjusting bolt 38a. This valve is adjusted vertically so as to regulate the opening between the lower end ,thereof andthe trigger to accommodate the device to coins of the required denomination and to take up any wear. As noted, the coin lodges against the lower end of the gate valve and the trig ger 32 until dislodged, as will be hereinafter described, and when dislodged` falls 'into the chute 40 which is provided with an inclined bottom or lower end so as. to discharge the coin into the drawer or receptacle 11 provided for that purpose. .n

A In order to prevent articles from collecting upon the top of the roller? and wedging between the same and thel front piece 6 when the valve is pushed inwardly, we preferably secure to the front suitable guard lingers L11 which overhang the rolleryas shown,and

c are inclined te cause movement of the: -;articles by gravity toward the Opening 42 be' opening tween the roller and a guard rib L13 secured upon the lower edge of the inclined bottom 22.

In the operation of the device, alcoin of suitable denomination is pushed-into the slot 29 from where it rolls downthe chute 28 into the chute 31 until it contacts with the inclined end 37 of the plunger 36. 1t is then moved laterally by gravity until it assumes the position shown in dottedlines in Figure 2, resting upon the upper surface of the trigger 32 and engaged with the lower edge of the gate valve 38. Itwill be noticed that in this position a coin of the proper denomination is of too great a diameter to pass between the trigger and the lower edge ofthe gate valveiuntil forced by the plunger 36. Uponoperation of the plunger 15 inwardly, the plunger 36 first acts upon the coin toforce thesame y formed by the lower edge ofthe gate valve 3S and the trigger 32, which causes a depression of the rear end of the trigger and an elevation of the forward end thereof out of the path of the shoulder 33. Continued movement of the plunger 15 will carry the article in the opening 27 beyond the end ofl the platform13 so thatit will drop into the receptacle formed by the partition 10 andthe rib 9L In this'imovement o the valve, all articles held in the opening t2 will be carried away fromthe opening 27 by the action of the roller and when the plunger 15 is released and the valve is returned to normal position, the roller will continue to carry an article through the 27 where` it opening 4:2 Ainto the opening rests upon the platform 13. In this re tracted movement-of the valve.;` the ,forward end of the trigger slides over theattaching flange `0f the plunger 36 until the valve almost reaches its outermost position when the trigger will snap oft' the valve and lie` in the path of the shoulder. Any operation o f the plunger without there being a coin of the i proper denomination in the position shown in Figure 2, will result inthe vtrigger coming into contactwith the shoulder 33 so as to eifectually lock the plunger against further inward movement and discharge of the article contained in the opening 27 .y It is, of course, understood that theslot .29 is of such length andwidth that it ,will not receive a coin larger than thatV required to t operate the machine and thatif a coin of smaller denomination than that required to operate the machine `isfinsertedfitwill: vpass through the opening V)defined fby the, lower edge of the gate valve 38 andthe-upperedge of the trigger 32,4 rolling oft' the inclined endV 37 `oftheplunger into vtheeluite- 40 where it will be discharged intofthereceptacle 37 without operating any-ef thefparts The machine illuetratedsh-ereineis-adapt- K particularly to dispense pencils, but we Wish it clearly understood that With the ranged to restrict said opening, means for present form of mechanism which may be normally holding the trigger in position to changed to suit conditions in practice Withlock the valve against discharge movement, out departing from the spirit of the invena plunger carried by the valve and operated 30 tion, We may dispense various types of artiin the discharge movement thereof to force cles, as Will be readily understood, and the a coin through said opening and thereby size of the parts may he such as to accointhrow the trigger out of locking position, modate the machine for these articles and said plunger having means to guide the coin for various denominations of coins or checks. toward the restricted opening. p 35 lVhat We claim is: 3. In a vending machine, a casing, an

l. n a vending machine, a casing, an article dispensing valve slidably mounted article dispensing valve slidably mounted therein, a coin chute having an opening, a therein, a coin chute having an opening, a trigger pivoted in the coin chute and arvalve locking trigger pivoted in the coin ranged to restrict said opening, means for 40 chute and extended through the opening to normally holding the trigger in position to prevent passage of a coin of proper denomilock the valve against discharge movement, nation7 said trigger normally preventing a and a plunger carried by the valve and operdischarge movement of the valve, and a ated in thedischarge movement thereof to plunger carried bythe valve and operated throw the trigger out of locking position, 45 in theJ discharge movement thereof to force said plunger having an inclined end posia. coin'through said opening and throw the tioned in the chute adapted to guide a coin trigger out of locking position. to the restricted opening.

2. In a vending machine7 a casing, an In testimony whereof We hereunto aiiix `article dispensing valve slidably mounted our signatures.

therein, a coin chute having an opening, a SOLON G. THOMAS. trigger pivoted in the coin chute and ar- ROCHELL E. KIGHT. 

